Do you need a solar permit in Maryland?
By Mario Bailey Last checked
In Maryland, all 5 counties and cities we checked agree: they require a solar permit for every job.
- Always required
- 5
- of 5 jurisdictions
- Conditional
- 0
- depends on size or scope
- Not required
- 0
- exempt outright
Solar Permit rules nationwide, beyond Maryland.
Requirements and size thresholds for solar permits vary by locality. The table below compares what each Maryland county or city requires. Always confirm with the local office before starting.
Comparing states? See solar permit rules across every locality we cover.
The application steps and inspection sequence for solar permits come from the model code rather than from Maryland law, so they read the same wherever you build. We keep that walkthrough in one place: how a solar permit application and its inspections work, start to finish. What changes between Maryland jurisdictions is below: who requires a permit, what they charge, and which office you file with.
Swipe sideways to see thresholds and confidence.
| Locality | Permit required? | Typical threshold | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anne Arundel County | Yes | Any size | Confirmed on official page |
| Baltimore County | Yes | Any size | Confirmed on official page |
| Howard County | Yes | Any size | Confirmed on official page |
| Montgomery County | Yes | Any size | Confirmed on official page |
| Prince George's County | Yes | Any size | Confirmed on official page |
| No localities match your filter. | |||
What a solar permit costs in Maryland
5 Maryland jurisdictions we cover publish a fee figure for this work. Each line is quoted from that office's own schedule and linked to its citation. The figures are not comparable to one another: some are flat minimums, some a percentage of job value, some charged per fixture, so what you pay depends on which schedule applies and on your job's valuation.
"A Residential Solar Permit is considered a Building Permit" and its fee "is based on the estimated value of the work": Building permits are valuation-based: "$0-$3,000 | $86.00" rising to "Above $25,000 | $242.00 plus .010 times estimated cost above $25,000.00", plus "A non-refundable application fee of $43.00 will be added to all building permits." Minimum Building Permit Fee $86.00 (Permit Fees page, effective October 1, 2024). An electrical permit is also needed.
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Building Permit Fee Schedule effective 07/01/26: Solar Power System, Residential (Roof and Ground Mounted) $100.00, plus the $75.00 residential permit application fee. Electrical Permit Fee Schedule effective 11/26/18: Solar Photovoltaic System, Residential $74.00.
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$50 per structure for a residential roof- or ground-mounted solar collector (Miscellaneous Structures Accessory permit, FY2027 fee schedule); commercial solar arrays use a separate per-panel fee tier
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$261.18 flat for rooftop solar panels, with a reduced $130.59 fee for rooftop solar panel refer-backs, per DPS-Fees-ResConst-FY27.pdf effective 2026-07-01
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DPIE Fee Schedule, effective March 2, 2025: "Solar Panels (Roof-mounted) - Residential", minimum permit fee $158, "Total Fee = Administrative Fee $66 + Building Permit Fee ($0.03 per watt or $158, whichever is greater) + $5 M-NCPPC. Plus Technology Fee 10%"; "Solar Panels (Ground-mounted) - Residential", same $158 minimum and per-watt formula but adding a $53 Grading Fee and a $112 U&O fee. A separate "Electrical Permit Fee - Solar PV System - (Group of 100 Panels)" of $95 applies, plus the $66 administrative fee and the 10% technology fee.
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Jurisdictions not listed publish no dollar figure we could quote. Absence does not mean a permit is free.
Common questions about solar permits in Maryland
- Do I need a solar permit in Maryland?
- In most of Maryland, yes. Permits are issued locally, so the answer comes from your Maryland city or county rather than a single statewide rule. Of the 5 Maryland jurisdictions we have verified for solar work, 5 require a permit outright, 0 depend on the size or scope of the job, and 0 require none.
Ready to move on your solar permit?
Hire it out
Before you sign, ask the contractor:
- Who pulls the permit, you or me, and is the permit fee included in the bid?
- Which inspections will this job need, and who meets the inspector on site?
- Is your Maryland Home Improvement Commission (MHIC) license active, and under which business name? Verify it on www.dllr.state.md.us.
Maryland's owner-builder rule (Md. Code, Bus. Occ. and Prof. 12-301(b), 6-607(1); Public Safety 12-505) sets what you may do on your own home without hiring anyone. Read the statute.